Jonathan Ferrell

polaris_x

ok ... so, i'm trying to figure out what is more tragic?

1. that no one would help this guy out in the middle of the night
2. that he was shot 10 times for no reason
3. that we still don't recognize we have a race and therefore an ignorance problem


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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/1 ... 37175.html

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An unarmed man seeking help after a car crash over the weekend was shot 10 times by the Charlotte police officer who's now charged in his death, investigators said Monday.

The release of the information supporting the voluntary manslaughter charge came at the end of a day that also included the first public remarks by victim Jonathan A. Ferrell's family. A family attorney and representatives of the NAACP questioned whether race played a role in the shooting of the black man by a white officer.

Ferrell's family said the former Florida A&M University football player moved to Charlotte about a year ago to be with his fiancee and was working two jobs. He wanted to go back to school and eventually become an automotive engineer.

"You took a piece of my heart that I can never put back," said Ferrell's mother, Georgia Ferrell, as she clutched a stuffed Winnie the Pooh doll her 24-year-old son loved as a child.

A police news release said Officer Randall Kerrick fired 12 times at Ferrell early Saturday while responding to a breaking and entering call, hitting him 10 times. Kerrick was scheduled for a first court appearance Tuesday on the voluntary manslaughter charge.

NAACP leaders gathered Monday to both praise police for quickly filing charges and to complain about how the shooting didn't surprise them considering portrayals of black men in popular culture and previous instances of racially inflected violence.

Ferrell family attorney Chris Chestnut wondered Monday what role race may have played in Saturday's shooting.

"The officer is white, Mr. Ferrell is black. This might be more of a reflection of where we are as a country," he said.

The encounter was set in motion around 2:30 a.m. Saturday when Ferrell's car ran off the entrance road to a sprawling suburban neighborhood that was carved out of farmland about a decade ago some 15 miles from downtown Charlotte. A sign near the crash site advertises a neighborhood watch meeting in a few days.

After crashing his car into trees, Ferrell kicked out the back window and headed up a hill to the first set of closely-clustered houses he could see. He then started "banging on the door viciously" of a home to attract attention, Police Chief Rodney Monroe said.

The woman inside answered, thinking it was her husband coming home late from work. When she saw Ferrell, she shut the door and called police. Monroe said he didn't think the unarmed Ferrell made threats.

Officers responding to the breaking and entering call found Ferrell on a road that only leads to the neighborhood's pool. Ferrell ran toward the officers, who tried to stop him with a Taser. Police said he continued to run toward them when Kerrick shot him. Ferrell died at the scene.

Chestnut, who has spoken with police officials, said that Kerrick didn't identify himself as a police officer.

A small pot of flowers and red balloons were placed on the spot. Orange spray paint was the only other indication of where Ferrell died.

Lance LoRusso, an attorney and former police officer, said it's unusual for a police officer to be charged so quickly after a shooting. He said there is generally a waiting period while investigators review the evidence.

"There are a couple of reasons why police take their time. First of all it takes time to develop things like the toxicology report to determine what happened. You have to wait until daylight to reconstruct the crime scene. You have to interview all the people involved. And the officer is given the opportunity to decompress before making a statement," he said.

Ferrell's mother said Kerrick had no business being a police officer if he couldn't react properly to a man who needed help.

"I truly forgive him. I pray for him. And I pray that he gets off the police force," Georgia Ferrell said.

His family painted a picture of a bright man with an "infectious smile" who was always there for his brothers and sisters. "He was a role model," said his brother, Frank. "He had so much love in his heart. And he was always concerned about his family."

"He had dreams of being an automotive engineer. He wanted to design a car from the very last bolt to the interior," his brother said.

He said he didn't know where his brother was going that night, or why he got into the accident. But he said his brother had never been in trouble before.

Several people in the neighborhood where Ferrell went after the crash refused to talk to a reporter Monday. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police car was in one driveway just up the hill from Ferrell's wreck. No one answered the door at that home.

Ferrell was at least the sixth person to be shot by Charlotte-Mecklenburg officers since the start of 2012. Four of them have died.

Charlotte police investigate their own officers involved in shootings. The State Bureau of Investigation can step in if requested, but they haven't been asked to do so in any recent officer-involved shootings.

In the other shootings, prosecutors decided not to charge the officers involved and an independent panel of citizens that investigates the police ruled the shootings were justified.

The shooting needs to bring more scrutiny to the Citizens Review Board so the group simply doesn't assume police officers are always right, said Kojo Nantambu, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

"No police department is perfect," Nantambu said. "But every time that group investigates, they find nothing wrong."

Last-12-Exit

I'm not going to say that this wasn't racially motivated because I don't know the cop and I've only read this one article. Based on this article, it sounds more like a complete lack of training and experience that lead to this guys death. Either way, I agree with Ferrells family, this guy had no business being a police officer.

Dirtie_Frank

This is a tradgedy but why is the NAACP involved. I could understand if they knew the officer had a history of racism. I just do not like when the racisct card is played so quick. It takes away from when there is true racism, like the boy who cried wolf story.

polaris_x

Dirtie_Frank wrote:

This is a tradgedy but why is the NAACP involved. I could understand if they knew the officer had a history of racism. I just do not like when the racisct card is played so quick. It takes away from when there is true racism, like the boy who cried wolf story.

i agree that sometimes these organizations inflame a situation with an agenda that isn't necessarily related to this ... however, without knowing what jonathan was yelling at the woman's door ... you have to ask yourself ... why she automatically feared for her life?

was it because he was black? ... it's possible ... i've been saying for the longest time ... people want to believe race isn't a big deal ... but it is and the more we try to sweep it under the rug the more tainted it gets ...

Blockhead

polaris_x wrote:

you have to ask yourself ... why she automatically feared for her life?

was it because he was black? ... it's possible ... i've been saying for the longest time ... people want to believe race isn't a big deal ... but it is and the more we try to sweep it under the rug the more tainted it gets ...

Ill tell you why... by using FACTS...
Since it seems most people are afraid to talk about it or bring it up, I guess I will.

May 2, 2013 - New York City Police Commissioner Kelly says almost 75% of violent crime committed by African-Americans
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.1332840


Race, Crime, and Justice in America
Second, Expanded Edition, 2005

- Blacks are seven times more likely than people of other races to commit murder, and eight times more likely to commit robbery.

- When blacks commit crimes of violence, they are nearly three times more likely than non-blacks to use a gun, and more than twice as likely to use a knife.

- Blacks are 13% of the U.S. population but commit 55% of the crimes.

- Blacks are an estimated 39 times more likely to commit a violent crime against a white than vice versa, and 136 times more likely to commit robbery.

- Newborn black males in this country have a greater than a 1 in 4 chance of going to prison during their lifetimes

- The single best indicator of violent crime levels in an area is the percentage of the population that is black and Hispanic.

- Of the nearly 770,000 violent interracial crimes committed every year involving blacks and whites, blacks commit 85 percent and whites commit 15 percent.

- Blacks commit more violent crime against whites than against blacks. Forty-five percent of their victims are white, 43 percent are black, and 10 percent are Hispanic. When whites commit violent crime, only three percent of their victims are black.

These are simple facts and statistics about crime in the United States.
Its a lot harder to accept the truth and easier to scream racist...

know1

I'm not defending the cops here, but something isn't right with this story.

Maybe he was in shock or something from the crash, but the victim's behavior sounds kind of odd. If I'm in some strange neighborhood in the middle of the night and I bang on someone's door who obviously becomes frightened by me (and should be at that time of night no matter who is banging on the door), I'm probably going to expect that person to call the cops. Heck, I'd probably be unnerved if someone was banging on my door in the middle of the day.

Then, when the cops show up, I'm not likely going to run at them and continue to run at them when they taser me.

polaris_x

know1 wrote:

I'm not defending the cops here, but something isn't right with this story.

Maybe he was in shock or something from the crash, but the victim's behavior sounds kind of odd. If I'm in some strange neighborhood in the middle of the night and I bang on someone's door who obviously becomes frightened by me (and should be at that time of night no matter who is banging on the door), I'm probably going to expect that person to call the cops. Heck, I'd probably be unnerved if someone was banging on my door in the middle of the day.

Then, when the cops show up, I'm not likely going to run at them and continue to run at them when they taser me.

i read in a story that the cops did not identify themselves ... all he saw was head lights and it was likely he had suffered a head injury based on the wreckage of the vehicle ...

polaris_x

Blockhead wrote:

Ill tell you why... by using FACTS...
Since it seems most people are afraid to talk about it or bring it up, I guess I will.

May 2, 2013 - New York City Police Commissioner Kelly says almost 75% of violent crime committed by African-Americans
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.1332840


Race, Crime, and Justice in America
Second, Expanded Edition, 2005

- Blacks are seven times more likely than people of other races to commit murder, and eight times more likely to commit robbery.

- When blacks commit crimes of violence, they are nearly three times more likely than non-blacks to use a gun, and more than twice as likely to use a knife.

- Blacks are 13% of the U.S. population but commit 55% of the crimes.

- Blacks are an estimated 39 times more likely to commit a violent crime against a white than vice versa, and 136 times more likely to commit robbery.

- Newborn black males in this country have a greater than a 1 in 4 chance of going to prison during their lifetimes

- The single best indicator of violent crime levels in an area is the percentage of the population that is black and Hispanic.

- Of the nearly 770,000 violent interracial crimes committed every year involving blacks and whites, blacks commit 85 percent and whites commit 15 percent.

- Blacks commit more violent crime against whites than against blacks. Forty-five percent of their victims are white, 43 percent are black, and 10 percent are Hispanic. When whites commit violent crime, only three percent of their victims are black.

These are simple facts and statistics about crime in the United States.
Its a lot harder to accept the truth and easier to scream racist...

welcome back ...

so, it is your contention that these stats you presented justify the woman's actions?

Dirtie_Frank

If I had someone banging at my door at 2:30 am. The first thing I would do is grab a weapon of some sort just in case and instruct my wife to grab the kids and call the cops. He was possibly delushional from his accident, but the lady nor the police officer new that. There is probably more to the story but I hope and do not think race had anything to do with it.

polaris_x

Dirtie_Frank wrote:

There is probably more to the story but I hope and do not think race had anything to do with it.

why do you hope that?

hope is good ... i mean i hope the leafs win the stanley cup ... but hope doesn't make it true and often hope voids one of reality ...

it's really the essence of my post ... so many people hoping race is not an issue when in order to make it not an issue - people have to start recognizing it is ...

Dirtie_Frank

polaris_x wrote:

Dirtie_Frank wrote:

There is probably more to the story but I hope and do not think race had anything to do with it.

why do you hope that?

hope is good ... i mean i hope the leafs win the stanley cup ... but hope doesn't make it true and often hope voids one of reality ...

it's really the essence of my post ... so many people hoping race is not an issue when in order to make it not an issue - people have to start recognizing it is ...

I hope because it has such a negative effect on our society. I hope becuase no matter what anyone says a racicst action causes strains on the bridges people build to rid it in our society. That is why I hope. I know it is out there I have had racist thought in a fit of anger and I have seen racicism used by blacks against white. It sucks no matter which way it goes. I hope this is just an unfortunate mistake by the cop.

I am very keen on reality. If this is something done because of race then there will be more sepearation and I hope that does not happen.

polaris_x

Dirtie_Frank wrote:

I hope because it has such a negative effect on our society. I hope becuase no matter what anyone says a racicst action causes strains on the bridges people build to rid it in our society. That is why I hope. I know it is out there I have had racist thought in a fit of anger and I have seen racicism used by blacks against white. It sucks no matter which way it goes. I hope this is just an unfortunate mistake by the cop.

I am very keen on reality. If this is something done because of race then there will be more sepearation and I hope that does not happen.

understanding the consequences on society - isn't this like an infection under a scab? ... should we not finally face the realization and do something about it? ... hoping it doesn't exist doesn't make it go away ...

like so many issues facing society - it isn't so black and white (no pun intended) ... i am guessing that the cop and even the woman who refused help have black friends and probably don't identify themselves as racist ... my ex would never consider herself a racist and she has friends from all walks of life but if she's driving and a black guy is crossing the street she locks her doors almost subconsciously ... yes, she had a bad experience as a kid ... but how do we think that makes the black guy feel if he sees that? ... and what of the consequences of that?

racism is born from ignorance and it's a problem in a lot of places ... but like everything else that ignorance causes - hoping it doesn't exist or pretending it's not a problem is what allows it to fester and manifest itself ...

Jason P

All we really know is that a white cop killed a black person and he was arrested for it shortly after.

The only reflection we can really say is a reflection of our society is our ability to jump to conclusions without knowing facts.

Pingfah

America's problem with racism will not be shown so much in the event, as in the reaction to it.

The same was true of the Trayvon Martin case, you can't point at the actions of one guy and say it demonstrates a pattern of racism in the states, he may or may not be racist, it doesn't really matter in that respect. But you sure as hell can point at the behaviour of the right wing blog machine and institutions such as Fox News to draw a similar conclusion. And mark my words,if this gains any significant press coverage they'll be all over it like a rash, digging into this guy's past, trying to paint him as a delinquent, and so on.

hedonist

Jason P wrote:

The only reflection we can really say is a reflection of our society is our ability to jump to conclusions without knowing facts.

Here here.

JimmyV

It's 2:30am...

you are a woman home alone...

you hear a loud banging on your front door...

you open it expecting to see your husband...

you are instead confronted by a stranger acting strangely...

...in that situation, many of us would have slammed the door and called the cops. If we are being honest, and regardless of the man's skin color, that is absolutely a scenario that would warrant calling the police. I don't think we can really attribute racism to her actions. By the same token we cannot say that race did not play a part in her decision to respond as she did, but it is not a slam dunk that it did.

Dirtie_Frank

Pingfah wrote:

America's problem with racism will not be shown so much in the event, as in the reaction to it.

The same was true of the Trayvon Martin case, you can't point at the actions of one guy and say it demonstrates a pattern of racism in the states, he may or may not be racist, it doesn't really matter in that respect. But you sure as hell can point at the behaviour of the right wing blog machine and institutions such as Fox News to draw a similar conclusion. And mark my words,if this gains any significant press coverage they'll be all over it like a rash, digging into this guy's past, trying to paint him as a delinquent, and so on.

Just like the revarand Al Sharpton will spin it the other way for MSNBC. Any cable 'News' puts their spin on it, but its always the other guy that is wrong. :roll: